Head suspending pillow



F. H. EIDAM HEAD SUSPENDING PILLOW Filed July 27. 1959 Nov. 21, 1 961 N A I I as I VENTOR. V

' FQ4/I/CZS' 5/04/11 3,009,172 Patented Nov. 21., 1961 3,009,172 HEAD SUSPENDING PILLOW Frances H. Eidam, 3327 Castle Heights Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,787 1 Claim. (Cl. 338) This invention relates to a pillow construction and more particularly to one which is for use when the sleeper has hair curlers or pins in her hair. When a person sleeps with her hair in curlers and rests her head upon an ordinary pillow, the pressure of the curlers against the head is extremely uncomfortable.

The present pillow has as its principal object to provide means whereby the head is in contact with the pillow at a minimum of points so that rest is more comfortable. Furthermore, in many cases the curlers or pins can be placed in the hair so that the sleeper can rest her head upon the pillow and completely avoid pressure of curlers or pins against the head.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision of a pillow which is designed to protect a hairdo which has been styled by the user of the pillow or in a professional beauty shop, in such manner that the styling of the hair will remain protected and unmusscd to the least extent during sleeping.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pillow of the type described wherein the pillow filling has different degrees of firmness in order that a more firm filling can be utilized to maintain the pillow in shape, a somewhat less firm filling is utilized to provide comfortable shoulder support, and an even less firm filling is utilized to engage and support a minimum portion of the head.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG. 1; and

'FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partially broken away, of the pillow as viewed from its lower or shoulder supporting end.

In the drawing there is shown a pillow body 4 having a tapered shape when viewed from the side. The pillow body includes a shoulder supporting portion 6 which might be generally determined from its lower end portion 8 to a portion transversely of the line 10, which line is a vertical line on the side of the pillow between the head and shoulder portions. The broken lines 12 in FIG. 1 indicates generally the division between the shoulder portion 6 and a head portion 14.

The head portion 14, in the medial central portion thereof is provided with a recess 16 which is generally of U-shape and preferably extends from the top to the bottom of the pillow. It is not necessary that the recess 16 extend completely about or through the bottom of the pillow. However, it is preferred that the width of the recess 16 be less than its depth. The pillow body 4 is preferably provided with an outer cover '18 which confines suitable filler material.

As shown in FIG. 2 there is a filler material 20 beneath all of the head portion 14 and at least a major portion of the shoulder portion 6. The filler material 20 is fibrous or composed of a suitable rubber or other composition. Lying above the filler 20 in the shoulder portion 6 is a I layer 22 which preferably is of a rubber or plastic material which is softer than the filler 20. The latter being provided to maintain the general shape of the body of the pillow. The softer filler material 2.2 is intended to lie primarily beneath those portions to be supported by the shoulder of the sleeper.

Above the more firm filler portion 20, at the head supporting portion 14, is a filler layer 24 which is softer or less resilient than the lower filler 20 and preferably softer than the shoulder supporting layer of filler material 22. The head supporting filler 24 may lie entirely across the upper portion of the pillow or may lie only about the recess 16 as indicated by broken lines at 26.

The primary purpose of the pillow shown and described herein, is to provide a minimum area or line of support for the head when the user of the pillow has her hair put up in curlers or pins, the hair having previously been set with a curl setting solution or water. This minimum line or area of contact lies between the arm portions 28 of the U-shaped recess 16. The depth of the recess 16, as stated above, may not extend to the bottom of the pillow but it is preferred that if it does not, the arms 28 of the U-shaped recess be closer together than the depth of the recess, in order that a major portion of the head will not lie upon any portion of the bedding below the bottom of said recess 16.

A pillow such as shown and described will support the head and eliminate most if not all of the head contact with the pillow wherein curlers or pins might lie between the head and the pillow.

The lower portion of the taper or the shoulder-supporting portion 6 may be brought to a sharper edge at 8 if desired, but the principal object of the pillow is to provide a shoulder supporting portion 6 which will relieve a great deal of the body weight, and a head supporting portion 1 4 with its recess 16, the latter providing for minimum contact between said head supporting portion and the head of the sleeper.

The minimum contact above referred to, not only provides comfort for the wearer if the hair contains curlers or pins, but will, as heretofore stated, protect the witfure which has been previously prepared, in which instance, the hair styling is better protected against disarrangement.

Furthermore, the less resilient shoulder supporting layer 22, as compared to the head supporting portion 24, will assist in relieving weight of the head upon the pillow.

It should be understood that various changes in the proportion, form and details of the pillow may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A pillow for suspending the head of a person to relieve the pressure of hair curlers worn during sleep comprising a head portion of self-supporting yieldably solid material, a shoulder supporting portion of wedge shape of self-supporting yieldably solid material with its upper surface sloping upwardly to and merging with the upper surface of the head portion, said head portion having a generally U-shaped vertical recess open at the upper edge of the head portion, the U-shaped recess extending from said upper edge of the head portion approximately to the upper limit of the shoulder supporting portion, the head portion which defines the vertically upper edge of the recess providing minimum contact head-engaging edges spaced to suspend and completely support the head there- 3 4 between with the head in contact only with the edges of 1,580,210 McCulloch Apr. 13, 1926 and free of the major upper surface of said head por- 2,099,977 Harris Nov. 23, 1937 tion. 2,878,153 Hacklander Mar. 17, 1959 2,880,428 Forsland Apr. 7, 1959 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 2,944,266 Wertheimer July 12, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 211,741 Johnson Ian. 28, 1879 414,131 Great Britain Aug' 2, 1934 

